The value of embargoed information
I just received an e-mailed news release from a Raleigh group called Action for Children North Carolina about its new report on corporal punishment. A few minutes before that I got a news release on the local winners of the National Merit $2,500 scholarship winners.
Today is Monday; both releases are embargoed until Wednesday.
Normally when information with strings attached is exchanged, both sides agree to the strings. Given that I did not agree to embargo the information from National Merit or Action for Children -- both releases were sent unsolicited -- am I bound to honor the embargoes?
We don't care for embargoes, although we agree to them on occasion. They rarely help us or, more important, our readers.
But the tradition, I think, is to adhere to the requested embargo date, although I can't think of a good reason why. Now, with publishing in the hands of many, rather than few, isn't it time for this practice to go away?